Kidderminster

Kidderminster

Kidderminster is a town in the English county of Worcestershire located in the Wyre Forest area near Worcester. Its population, together with that of Bewdley and Stourport-on-Severn, is around 52,000. The modern carpet industry was founded in the area in 1785 by Brintons. The carpet industry was extremely important to the local economy, so much so that the local newspaper is still named the Kidderminster Shuttle after the shuttles used on the carpet looms.

The town stands on the River Stour and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. The Severn Valley Railway runs from the town to Bridgnorth.

Kidderminster was the birthplace of Josiah Mason and Rowland Hill. It is notable that in the UK general election, 2001, the town returned Dr Richard Taylor as an independent MP for the Wyre Forest parliamentary constituency. Only a handful of independent MPs have been elected since World War II and Taylor had fought the election to protest the planned closure of a Kidderminster hospital.

Kidderminster Harriers F.C is the town's football club.